1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to scenting and fragrancing devices and, more particularly, to an improved heated deodorizing device for generating and dispersing a desired scent or fragrance and distributing the scent to a surrounding environment.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Fragrant compounds are well known in the art for masking foul odors with more pleasing scents or odors which are introduced into enclosed areas by the release of natural and/or synthetic compounds. The medical art of aromatherapy administers by inhalation, ingestion or skin absorption small amounts of the essential oils of plants that are believed to possess therapeutic properties. Also, fragrant compounds may be added to the construction materials of products that are used in odiferous environments in an attempt to mask unpleasant odors.
One form of known deodorizing device involves evaporation of a solid or liquid containing a fragrance compound and which is evaporated through the application of heat or the opening of a vent between a chamber within a body containing the fragrant compound and the surrounding enclosed area. Other known prior art examples introduce the fragrant aroma into the surrounding environment by atomization of a liquid fragrance compound or by blowing air past a reservoir of a liquid or solid material containing the fragrant compound.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,522,008, issued to Bernard, discloses a vaporizing device having a heating unit with a pair of electrical connector terminals staked to a substantially rigid substrate having a serpentine resistance type heating element printed thereon and electrically connected to the terminals. An insulating conformal layer coats the heating element, wicking into the interstices of the region between the electrical terminals and the openings in the substrate receiving the terminals to significantly enhance the structural strength of the device.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,556,192, issued to Wang, discloses a perfumer structure having an optically controlled night light. The perfumer structure includes a heat conductor element wrapped by a heat conductive and fireproof plastic material, such as provided by a body securable to an AC power outlet, for generating heat to vaporize a solid perfume insert and to disperse a perfume gas.
A major drawback of such prior art devices includes the incidence of leakage of liquid based compounds during manufacture, storage and/or use of such devices. Also, the cost of constructing reservoirs in the fragrancing/deodorizing devices adds to the cost and complexity of such devices and the prior art further suffers from the inability to provide the fragrancing compounds in a measured and continuous fashion so as to achieve optimal efficiency of the devices. Furthermore, the construction of existing plug-in deodorizers with fragrancing inserts suffer from the shortcoming of having fairly small effective areas of fragrancing. Furthermore, may deodorizers are not especially decorative and do not give a hint as to the nature of the fragrance they contain.